Man hit by pickup on Mill Plain dies

A Vancouver police officer takes photos of the scene where a man was struck by a pickup and killed Monday evening while crossing East Mill Plain Boulevard near Andresen Road. (Troy Wayrynen/The Columbian)

A man died Monday evening after he was struck by a pickup truck on East Mill Plain Boulevard near Andresen Road.

A motorist involved was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana.

Vancouver police were called to the scene at 5:50 p.m. Witnesses said the man had been crossing Mill Plain in front of Safeway, carrying a grocery bag.

He crossed the eastbound lanes, stopped in a median, and then walked into westbound traffic.

A man driving a black Hyundai Sonata in the left lane slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting the pedestrian. The pickup, in the right lane, struck the pedestrian, witnesses said.

The man, who was not in a crosswalk, was dead when police arrived, said Kim Kapp, spokeswoman for the Vancouver Police Department.

The pedestrian’s name was not released, pending notification of his family.

Driver arrested

The driver of the pickup, Scotty R. Rowles, 47, whose truck had Oregon plates, was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana. Rowles is believed to be from Portland.

Westbound traffic was blocked on Mill Plain in the area while police investigated the accident.

The area has a history of pedestrian fatalities. According to Columbian archives, a man walking in a Mill Plain crosswalk just west of the accident scene was struck by a car last December. He died in the hospital following the collision. In December 1999, a woman died after being hit near the crosswalk.